The Days of Uncertainty

The date of Bottesini's birth is given variously as December 21 or 24 (1821). Most Bottesini scholars believe this confusion arose from more than a mere scribal error; it reflects a little-understood biological process that was in force when the Master was born -- namely, that he had two mothers, and was born twice: First in Theory, then in Practice.

(The order of these two births is a matter of fierce debate among Bottesini scholars; the most conciliatory and even-handed among them sees the theory-or-practice question as a conundrum similar to the chicken-or-egg.)

Bottesini's claim that he was one-third Jewish further corroborates the two-birth hypothesis.

Bottesini's followers designate the period between December 21 and 24 the Days of Uncertainty on the Bottesini Calendar (published annually by MTIC. The concept of the Uncertain is celebrated during this time, and schedules, commitments, even time signatures, become less meaningful than usual.

"We all must learn where to place our fingers."